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David Miller, Senior Paintings Conservator at the IMA, supplied the following recipe for bread used in cleaning paintings. He said it was most often used to clean paintings with no varnish and a thin ground, such as a color field paintings, or paintings such as Morris Louis paintings that have a great deal of unprimed or unpainted canvas. He first came across the technique when working in Canada in the 1970's with Dutch paper conservators. The recipe was supplied to him by Jim Bernstein.
1 1/3 pkg. of Fleishman's Yeast - place in warm water (follow package directions) until yeast is activated (frothing); approx. 15 minutes. 2-3 cups lukewarm water 4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose wheat flour Mix together to make a paste then add the flour and water (only as much as needed) to form a dough ball. Knead as you would bread. Do not add any salt, oil, or fat. Let rise until doubled in size in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, then punch down and let rise until doubled again. Place and form in an ungreased, non-stick bread/loaf pan and bake @350F for 45 minutes or until done. Let cool and store in a plastic bag. Use as soon as possible - will only be good for 2-3 days. Best to bake the day before needed. Do not use the crust or dry parts of the bread since it could abrade a paint surface. The interior should be moist and spongy. Break up the interior and apply in a circular motion. Remove crumbs from the paint surface before the bread becomes completely dry. A haki brush is useful for removing crumbs. Joanne Hackett
Associate Textile Conservator
Indianapolis Museum of Art. |